Assessment in Phe Teacher Resource Handbook

ASSESSMENT IN PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME .................................................................................................................4
PURPOSE ...................................................................................................................4
WHO IS THIS HANDBOOK FOR? .......................................................................................4
WHY ASSESSMENT? .....................................................................................................5
ORGANIZATION OF HANDBOOK .......................................................................................5
KEY MESSAGES AND IDEAS.............................................................................................6
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF ASSESSMENT .............................................................7
DEFINING FOUNDATIONAL TERMS .......................................................................7
WHAT ASSESSMENT IS AND IS NOT.......................................................................9
USE ASSESSMENT AS A VERB ............................................................................ 11
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT ..................................................................... 16
WHEN TO USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT ................................................. 18
SECTION 1 HIGHLIGHTS ................................................................................... 19
QUICK TIPS .......................................................................................................... 20
SECTION 2: CLARIFYING AND ALIGNING TEACHING AND LEARNING ......................... 21
WHERE TO START? ........................................................................................ 21
BREAKING DOWN CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES .................................................... 23
SUCCESS CRITERIA ......................................................................................... 25
PROVIDING FEEDBACK .................................................................................... 27
QUICK TIPS .......................................................................................................... 30
SECTION 3: ASSESSMENT TOOLS ............................................................................. 32
COMMON ASSESSMENT TOOLS ......................................................................... 32
RUBRICS ...................................................................................................... 32
FREQUENCY SCALES........................................................................................ 40
Quick Tips .......................................................................................................... 44
SECTION 4: COMMUNICATING STUDENT LEARNING ................................................ 45
WHAT IS A GRADE?........................................................................................ 45
WHAT GOES INTO A GRADE?............................................................................ 45
ORGANIZING GRADEBOOKS.............................................................................. 47
2
DETERMINING A GRADE .................................................................................. 50

GRADING SCALES........................................................................................... 50
DELAY THE PERCENTAGE.................................................................................. 52
USING PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT .................................................................... 53
THE LOGIC RULE ............................................................................................ 57
QUICK TIPS .................................................................................................. 60
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 62
Acknowledgement
The content and perspectives related to assessment in PHE shared
throughout the 3-part webinar series, and in this teacher resource
handbook, are presented by Josh Ogilvie, the current president of PHE
BC. He has an extensive background and understanding of assessment
principles, approaches, and practices based on years of professional
learning and teaching experiences in PHE informed by evidence-based
research. The information presented in this teacher resource
handbook will highlight a range of promising practices that will
support and enhance student learning and instructional approaches in
PHE. Josh is voluntarily sharing this information for BC teachers and he
is not relinquishing any rights to intellectual property presented in this
teacher resource handbook, or from the 3-part webinar series to PHE
BC or the British Columbia Teachers Federation (BCTF).
Please reference and/or confirm with Josh Ogilvie about any materials
and/or information from this teacher resource handbook that you
want to reproduce or use for other purposes than your own practice.
The work of other authors referenced in this handbook should also be
acknowledged appropriately.
Josh Ogilvie contact information:
josh.ogilvie@outlook.com @joshogilvie4
3
WELCOME
T his teacher resource handbook is intended for K-12 teachers in

British Columbia (BC) to provide a lens for the purposes and uses
of assessment in their physical and health education (PHE)
classes. It is an extension of the 3-part webinar series that was held in
the spring of 2022 and aims to provide a more in-depth exploration of
the assessment approaches, principles, and practices that were
presented to help support and enhance student learning in PHE.
While the information presented in this handbook is
foundational to assessment of student learning, it does not
override or replace local policies. Please familiarize yourself
with local policies and procedures, including updated
information from the draft BC K-12 reporting order.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this teacher resource handbook is to provide a deeper
level of detail of the information that was presented in the 3-part
webinar series on assessment in PHE. It is not meant to be a “one-stop
shop” for all things related to assessment, as assessment is a broad topic
comprised of many sub-topics that are related to and separate from
each other. This teacher resource handbook will highlight foundational
principles and practices that can be used and/or adapted by teachers to
fit the shifting landscape of assessment in BC schools.
WHO IS THIS HANDBOOK FOR?

As a supplement to the 3-part webinar series on assessment in PHE, this
teacher resource handbook is intended to support teachers who are
actively using and/or considering how to implement assessment
practices in their PHE classes. It will highlight foundational assessment
principles, approaches, and practices related to intended student
learning (i.e., curricular learning) and how to use this information to
help students progress in that learning, and how teachers can use it to
improve their instructional practices.
4
WHY ASSESSMENT?
As many experienced PHE teachers can likely attest to, learning about
assessment of student learning during their university undergrade
degree was not a major focus of the course work. While assessment in
PHE is gathering increased attention, there is very little research on
actual assessment practices, which is concerning given that assessment
is known to play a key role in providing high quality physical education
experiences (International Association for Physical Education in Higher
Education [AIESEP], 2020). Furthermore, many researchers have
expressed strong concerns over this (Hay and Penney 2009; Thorburn
2007; Veal 1988) and highlight that physical education teachers are
struggling to ensure a reliable and valid grading system is used in class
(Annerstedt and Larsson 2010; DinanThompson and Penney 2015). As
such, it is fair to say that assessment is ‘one of the most fraught and
troublesome issues physical educators have had to deal with over the
past 40 years or so’ (López-Pastor et al. 2013).
This teacher resource handbook does not set out to resolve these
concerns or provide quick answers. Indeed, assessment is complex and
needs to be explored, practiced, refined, and developed throughout a
teacher’s career, and it is hoped for that this resource can be a support
for PHE teachers throughout BC. It will bring forward perspectives,
practices, and approaches to assessing and grading student learning
that might conflict with personal beliefs, confirm them, or possibly open
new ways of thinking about them.
ORGANIZATION OF HANDBOOK
This teacher resource handbook will be organized into four sections by
the themes/topics from the 3-part webinar series. Each section will
consist of slides from the webinar session and further information
related to those slides. In some cases, there will be information included
in this teacher resource handbook that was not originally shared in the
webinar session(s).
5
The four sections are:

1. Foundations of Assessment
2. Clarifying and Aligning Teaching and Learning
3. Assessment Tools
4. Communicating Student Learning
KEY MESSAGES AND IDEAS

Throughout this teacher resource handbook there are key
messages and/or ideas related to the content in each
section. These summarizing points, or high level take-
aways, connect the content with a bigger purpose for
teaching and learning practices and will be identified by the image of
the key in a speech bubble.
6
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF ASSESSMENT

To create meaningful and optimal learning experiences
in a PHE class, teachers need a foundation to inform what,
why, and how they assess student learning.
DEFINING FOUNDATIONAL TERMS
T
here are a few foundational assessment terms that appear
throughout this teacher resource handbook, and for the sake of
clarity they will be defined below.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
At its core, formative
assessment is about
gathering information
about student learning to
understand where they are
currently at and what can
be done next to help them
improve during the
learning process. As it is
expected that students will make mistakes, try novel approaches, and
develop new understandings during the learning process, formative
assessment information should not be used for grading purposes
(otherwise, they are penalized for a natural part of learning).
Within formative assessment, there are two approaches to consider:
assessment for learning and assessment as learning.
Assessment for Learning (AfL)
This approach involves the teacher gathering assessment information
to understand where the students are currently at in their learning so
7
that they can make an

informed teaching
decision that will best
support each student.
This information also
helps the teacher gauge
the effectiveness of their
used teaching strategy
and what, if any,
adjustments need to be made to better support each student in their
learning (e.g., using small group instruction vs. large group).
Assessment as Learning (AaL)
This approach involves
students being the
assessors and gathering,
interpreting, and acting
upon their assessment
information to make
improvements through
self and/or peer-
assessments. This is a
highly effective approach for students to identify their strengths, areas
to grow, and build their self-efficacy through personal goals and
reflection.
Both AfL and AaL occur within the learning process with the difference
between them being who the assessor is and how the gathered
information will be used.
Assessment for learning Assessment as Learning
Teacher use Student use

(self and/or peer)
8
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Summative assessment
(also known as assessment
of learning) is used to
validate the level of
achievement a student has
been able to demonstrate
with their learning at the
end of the learning process
and/or period. As such, the entirety of what students have been learning
about should be considered in a summative assessment, not individual
parts of it. Another way to think of this is how well can the student put
all the pieces of what they have been learning about together in an
overall demonstration of learning.
As summative assessments consider the overall level of success a
student has been able to achieve with specific learning standards (not
pieces of it), it is appropriate to use this information for grading and
reporting purposes.
No assessment is inherently formative or summative in nature. How
the information is used will determine if the assessment is formative
(i.e., used to improve teaching and learning) or summative (i.e., used
to evaluate and validate learning achievement).
WHAT ASSESSMENT IS AND IS NOT
W
hen considering the term “assessment” it can be helpful to
think of it as an umbrella term consisting of a variety of
purposes, practices, and approaches that are related to each
other, yet are also different. At its core, assessment
is about gathering information about student
learning through a series of ongoing practices,
interpreting it and acting upon it to improve their
learning. Eventually, student learning achievement
will be evaluated and communicated for reporting
purposes.
9
For assessment to effectively support and improve student learning, it

is important to consider what it is/is not and how assessment is situated
and used in a PHE class.
Traditionally, assessment has been thought of and used as a noun (see

Figure 1), or a periodic event within the learning period to gather marks
for grading purposes and then move on from that moment (e.g., end of
unit fitness testing, skill testing, knowledge tests, etc.) However, to
better understand how students are progressing in their learning, and
what can be done to help them improve, assessment needs to be an
ongoing part of the daily teaching and learning processes and not just at
periodic times in a unit. When used in this way, the gathered
information from an assessment helps teachers and students make
informed decisions for what can be done next to help make
improvements in learning, including instructional approaches to best
support each student based on where they currently are at in their
learning.
Figure 1. Assessment as a Noun

The stars represent the periodic assessment experiences or events happening in a
reporting period (usually at the end of a unit/term).
For assessment to effectively support students in their learning, and

help to make informed teaching decisions, it needs to be accessible and
useful for teachers and students. Assessments that gather information
10
and then are never seen or used again (an assessment “blackhole”) do
not serve the teacher or the student(s) in understanding how they are
progressing in their learning or what to do to make improvements. They
have little to no impact on student learning and should be re-considered
(i.e., how the information is used) or discarded entirely.
Example-End of Term Fitness Tests

In many schools, students complete an end of term fitness test to track and
monitor their growth throughout a term and the academic year. When
these results are recorded and then filed away until the next fitness test (at
the end of the next term), the information has very little, if any, impact on
helping students understand how they are progressing and how to make
improvements. It is unrealistic and unreasonable to expect students to keep
a running mental tally of their results from the previous term to motivate
themselves to make improvements in the current term.
A better, and far more effective approach, would be to ensure the students
had ongoing access to their information to make personalized goals for
improvement while collaborating with the teacher for whatever supports
could help them pursue their goal.
Note: In no way does this example advocate for the use of fitness tests or
personal fitness scores being used for grading purposes (or comparing
scores to others). Rather, it is intended for effect only to highlight how
information can be used to support students in their growth, or not at all.
To ensure that both teachers and students understand how they are
doing with their learning, and what can be done next to help them
improve, assessment cannot be used as a noun; it needs to be used as a
verb.
USE ASSESSMENT AS A VERB
T
o understand how students are progressing in their learning, and
how to best support them in making
improvements, assessment needs to become a
regular and ongoing process in a PHE class setting. This
does not mean that a teacher needs to spend an equal
amount of time assessing as they are teaching, but it does
11
mean that assessment should receive an equal focus and/or intention as

teaching, and at times more so. Afterall, teaching is only effective
if/when students are learning from it, and assessment is how that is
known.
Example-Badminton Serves
After teaching students how to serve in badminton, the teacher stands back
and observes how students are doing with their serves. The teacher notices
that a handful of students are struggling with the serve and others in the
class are more successful with it. The teacher uses this information
(gathered through their observation) to provide feedback for the students
who are struggling, highlighting something they did well and something to
continue working on. Rather than moving on in the lesson, or re-teaching
the serve to the entire class, the teacher provides additional support for the
few students who needed it based on their observation, which was an
appropriate next step in the teaching and learning process.
The image in Figure 2 shows how using assessment as a verb can look
in any PHE class setting. At students learn about a skill, concept, or
content they eventually have an opportunity to demonstrate what they
can do with it (i.e., an assessment). Students receive descriptive
feedback (more on this in the Feedback section) for what they did well
and suggestive feedback on what could be improved upon and they use
this feedback to make improvements before their next demonstration
of learning. This cycle continues throughout the learning process,
(capitalizing on the strengths of formative assessment practices) until
the learning process is completed and the students are prepared for a
summative assessment of their learning (end of the learning process).
Figure 2. Using assessment as a verb

12
Formative Assessment in Action

As outlined in Figure 2, using formative assessment practices (i.e.,
assessment for and as learning) in the learning process can be greatly
enhance student learning and improve the effectiveness of teaching. The
following questions, asked by students (green) and the teacher (yellow),
can help to facilitate these assessment approaches:
Figure 3. Formative Assessment: 3 Questions
Assessment as Learning (Green)

As students consider their learning progress, they first need to know
what they are learning about (question #1). They can use the pre-
established success criteria (more on this in the Success Criteria
section) to help answer the second question, “How am I doing?” They
compare their most recent demonstration of learning (gathered via an
assessment) with the success criteria to highlight what they did well and
what they could improve. In outlining these areas (for self or for a peer),
the student can set a personalized goal for improvement to answer the
third question, “What can I do next?” The cycle continues as students
engage with and make improvements in their learning.
Assessment for Learning (Yellow)
As teachers consider student learning they too use the three questions
to understand how students are progressing in their learning and what
they can do, from a teaching perspective, to help students improve.
13
Teachers must know what the students are learning (question #1) so
that they are clear on what to teach. Using the pre-established success
criteria, the teacher can assess the students to answer the second
question, “How are they doing?” With this assessment information, the
teacher can provide descriptive feedback for students to identify their
current strengths and area(s) to improve upon. This information is key
for the teacher as it highlights what might have worked with their
instructional strategy and what changes, if any, might need to be made,
including differentiating their instructional approaches. This cycle
continues for the teacher throughout the learning process so they
understand how they can best support each student to learn at high
levels.
Example-Territorial Games Concepts and Strategies
When teaching students about the concepts of offense and defense in a
territorial game, and strategies and tactics related to each role, the teacher
focuses first on introducing what the purpose of each one is and main roles
associated with them (question #1). To check for understanding for this
class, the teacher establishes success criteria for students to be able to
identify what the purposes of offense and defense are in a territorial game,
and what the main roles are for each one (question #2).
At this point in the class, the teacher organizes small sided territorial games
for students to participate in and experience each role (i.e., offense and
defense). As the target for this class is for students to be able to identify the
purposes and roles for offense and defense, the teacher is not looking to see
how well students are using offensive and/or defensive strategies (they
would in a later class when teaching about these).
Towards the end of class, the teacher checks for understanding of what they
were learning in class that day by asking them to identify what the purposes
of offense and defense are in a territorial game, and what the main roles are
for each. The teacher can gather this information by using exit tickets,
having students record in their journal (if used), using an online app, etc.
Once the student responses are submitted, the teacher can quickly scan the
responses and provide feedback for what students identified correctly, and
what needs a bit more attention (question #3).
14
With this information, the teacher can make an informed teaching decision
for the next class based on where the students are currently at with their
learning. If a few students do not know any of the information, the teacher
can re-teach to them in a small group setting instead of moving on from the
material.
Note: gathering the class together and asking a student to identify the
purpose and roles will only provide insight into what that student currently
knows. It would not help to understand what others in the class know, and
thus, is not an effective way to understand where each student is at with
their learning.
Summative Assessment
As outlined in Figure 2, at the end of the learning process students
engage in a summative assessment to show what they can do with the
entirety of their learning. Summative assessments should never be a
surprise for students and to ensure they know what they are being
assessed on, and understand how well they demonstrated their
learning, the following questions can be asked and answered by both
students and teachers:
Figure 4. Summative Assessment: 2 Questions

Just as it is essential to have success criteria established and used in
the learning process, so too is it necessary to have success criteria to
use for a summative assessment at the end of the learning process. As
the summative assessment will look at how well a student can
demonstrate the entirety of their learning (i.e., the whole learning
standard/curricular competency), the BC proficiency scale can be an
effective tool for evaluating student learning achievement. Depending
on one’s familiarity with it, it might need to be unpacked to clarify
15
what each level means (e.g., what does an initial understanding of the
concepts and competencies look like for this? Partial? Complete?
Sophisticated?)
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT
A
side from formative and summative assessment, there are other
types of assessment that can support student learning and
improve teaching effectiveness.
Diagnostic/Pre-Assessment
Diagnostic and/or a pre-
assessment help to highlight
what students currently
know and/or understand
about a topic before they
learn about it. This
information is essential to
know so that the teacher can
plan for appropriate learning experiences that will meet the students
where they are currently at in their learning, without having to guess or
assume where they are.
Straightforward ways to use a diagnostic assessment (before
instruction begins) in a PHE class could include:
• Pencil and paper responses
o Ask students about core concepts that are going to be
explored in the unit to gauge what they know, do not know,
and/or any misunderstandings that need to be addressed
• Performance tasks
o Before teaching a unit on any game/activity, create small-
sided versions of that game and observe to see what
students know and can do in that activity (e.g., rules, skills,
concepts, etc.). If the students know the basic rules to play
16
the game, then the teacher does not need to teach them; if
they do not then they should teach them.
The strength of the diagnostic or pre-assessment is that it provides
information for the teacher about where the students are in their,
helping them to make an informed decision on where to begin with their
teaching rather than guessing where the students are.
The image in Figure 5 presents a few ideas and/or prompts to consider
ways to gather information through a diagnostic or pre-assessment.
Figure 5. Diagnostic or pre-assessment prompts to consider
Ipsative Assessment
An ipsative assessment aims

to consider one’s growth
over time compared to
themselves, and not others.
Periodic assessments, or
measurements, are taken
throughout the class to
gauge where students are
currently at. This information allows the student to create a personal goal
and action plan to make an improvement. Their plan would be put into
action until the next assessment where the student would measure, reflect
on the effectiveness (or outcome) of the goal and plan, and repeat the
process. See Figure 6 for what this could look like.
17
Figure 6. Ipsative assessment

The hexagon boxes represent the periodic assessments (ipsative) and the arrows
represent the application of the goals and action plans created by the student.
As students complete their ipsative assessment, they can track and monitor
their own information throughout the year. This allows them to look for
trends, reflect on the effectiveness of their chosen strategies, and they can
use the information as part of their self-assessment with the BC Core
Competencies.
Ipsative assessments are especially helpful in PHE for skills or outcomes

that are known to take a long time to develop, such as movement skills and
personal fitness levels. Using this approach with these areas of their
learning (i.e., movement competency and fitness) can help reduce negative
associations with where they currently are at (e.g., perceptions,
comparisons to other, grading against norms, etc.) and help students make
positive connections to these areas of their physical literacy development.
As their growth in these areas is known to take a long time, and is directly
influenced by out of school realities, it is debatable whether to use these
assessments for grading purposes or not (unless mandated by policy).
WHEN TO USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT
A
s mentioned earlier, assessment is about gathering information
about student learning and then doing something with that
information. Depending on what that information is needed for,
there are certain types and approaches to assessment that are more
appropriate in some situations, but not in others. Knowing which to use
and for what purpose helps to ensure the assessment information is clear,
accurate, and useful to support and communicate student learning. See
Table 1 for an overview of the different types of assessment and the various
needs they serve.
18
Using assessment Planning and Next steps in Grading and

information for teaching learning/growth reporting
Formative Very helpful Very helpful Not helpful
Diagnostic Very helpful Can be helpful Not helpful
Ipsative Very Helpful Very Helpful Not helpful
Summative Not Helpful Not Helpful Very helpful
Table 1: Assessment Types and Needs
SECTION 1 HIGHLIGHTS
Formative and Summative Assessment
No assessment is inherently formative or summative in nature. How
the assessment information is used will determine which it is.
Formative: Using assessment information to determine what to do

next to improve student learning and/or effectiveness of teaching
during the learning process (not used for grading and reporting).
Assessment for Learning: teachers using assessment information

to decide how to respond to where students are at in learning.
Helps to determine the effectiveness of their chosen instructional
strategies and what improvements/changes, if any, are needed.
Assessment as Learning: students using assessment information

to determine their strengths and what they can do to improve.
Information is gathered via a self and/or peer-assessment.
Summative: Using assessment information to evaluate and

summarize learning achievement at the end of the learning process.
Also known as assessment of learning and is used for grading and
reporting purposes.
19
Diagnostic/Pre-Assessment
Gathering information about what students know, (mis)understand
about a topic before teaching it in class. Helps the teacher to make
appropriate planning and teaching decisions based on where the
students are currently are at in their learning.
Ipsative Assessment
Personal assessment information to track and monitor growth over
time. Students make/modify goals based on the information and
reflect on the effectiveness of their plan.
QUICK TIPS
Assessments do not have to be an event. Quick conversations and/or
observations can reveal valuable information about student learning.
Speak with students about the types and purposes of assessment that will
be used in class. This helps to lower angst that some students might have
around assessment experiences.
The more students can ask and answer the three questions (in the
Formative Assessment section) the more connected to their learning and
growth they will be. If/when they cannot answer any of the three
questions, pause, ask them about the preceding questions to bring them
back into their learning process.
If ongoing assessment seems daunting, you can begin with posting what
is going to be learned in class (not done in class, i.e., activities) and 1-2
traits that signal success for that day. Share these with students and ask
them to self-rate during or at the end of class (e.g., finger rating 1-5, exit
tickets, etc.) with one area of strength for the day and one area to work on
for next class. This information will be valuable for you to plan for the next
class, and for the students to focus on as they progress in their learning.
Not everything that is assessed must be graded and/or reported on. Be
clear on the purpose of the assessment and how the information will be
used to support learning and/or communicate it.
20
SECTION 2: CLARIFYING AND ALIGNING TEACHING

AND LEARNING
When we are clear on what we teach, we can be clear on
what we assess. When we are clear on what we are assess,
we can better support students and their learning
experiences
WHERE TO START?
F
or teachers, it can seem normal to start thinking about a class from a
“what am I going to be teaching?” lens, followed by a “what will they
be doing in class?” type of question. While these questions can seem
intuitive to ask, a challenge they present is that the answers do not highlight
what students currently know and/or can do, and the teacher must make a
guess where to begin their teaching for the class. When this happens, the
focus tends to be more on teaching rather than on learning, resulting in
confusing and frustrating experiences for students who might be beyond
and/or below where the teacher plans their teaching.
A more productive and

learning centered approach
for a teacher to start their
planning is by considering
the following *questions:
Note: These questions have been adapted from Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, Understanding by Design,
2005.
a) What are students going to learn about?

a. The curriculum should inform the answer(s) to this question
(i.e., the curricular competencies and content).
NOTE: While students will undoubtably learn about things not
directly in the curriculum (e.g., work habits, grit, etc.), these
are different from the intended learning that is outlined in the
21
provincial curriculum. Indeed, they are important and

valuable as well, but they should not form the answer to this
question from a learning and teaching perspective.
b) What do students currently know and/or can do with this
learning?
a. This answer is important for each student so that the teacher
can make informed instructional decisions to best support
each student. See the section on “Diagnostic/Pre-Assessment”
for more information.
c) How will I/we know learning is happening?
a. This is the success criteria that are used to plan for learning
experiences and an assessment(s).
d) What learning experiences can help students succeed?
a. These are the day-to-day activities happening in class that will
help students to engage in and build capacity to succeed with
their learning (e.g., games, movement experiences, teamwork
challenges, etc.).
A main idea behind these questions, and this type of process
(sometimes referred to as backward planning), is that it is important
for the teacher to know where the learning is going before planning
for and designing lessons.
By using these questions, or others like them, teachers ensure the focus
remains on student learning and that the activities and teachings in class
are supporting students to succeed with that learning. Depending on the
focus on the unit, it is normal to have more than one curricular competency
as a target for what students are going to learn. Just be mindful of how
many curricular competencies are being focused on so that the learning
and teaching is manageable and effective. Figure 7 provides a visual for
how this type of planning could look for any unit of learning.
22
In this unit, students will know and be able to:

• Curricular competency and related content
How we will know learning is happening
• Evidence that is looked for in any assesment (aligned to the competency and/or
content)
What do students need to learn about and do to succeed with this?
• What teachers teach, students learn

• What types of activities will help students to engage with and develop their
learning in class (aligned to the competency and/or content)
Figure 7. Backwards Planning Flowchart

*For this resource, the specifics of each question are outlined but not elaborated on.
BREAKING DOWN CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES
W
hen teachers consider which curricular competency(ies) to use
in a unit of learning, it is important that they are unpacked, or
broken down, into smaller, more manageable pieces. On their
own, many curricular competencies can seem vague or unclear, which does
not help from a teaching or learning perspective. Also, some can be quite
“full” or have a lot of pieces to it, making it challenging to consider how it
can be taught, learned, and eventually assessed.
When curricular competencies are broken down into smaller pieces, it

allows the teacher to focus on a few key parts of the learning at a time, and
it also helps the students do the same. In turn, this allows the students to
better understand what they are currently learning, how they are doing
with it, and what they can do next based on where they currently are (i.e.,
the three questions outlined in the Formative Assessment in Action
section). These steps, and the three questions, help to ensure that students
do not get left behind in their learning if/when they struggle, and those who
23
are excelling can be appropriately challenged (i.e., next steps in learning)

based on where they are in their progress.
For the teacher, breaking down curricular competencies makes teaching

more manageable and realistic, as the individual parts are clarified and
specific. Rather than trying to teach an entire curricular competency at one
time, the teacher can focus on smaller pieces to teach with more time to
check for understanding, misunderstanding, and progress. With all the
pieces of the curricular competency in mind (or laid out), the teacher can
more accurately determine where each student is at in their learning and
how to appropriately respond to support each student. Of course, to know
where each student is currently at with the individual parts of the
curricular competency, an assessment of some type must occur.
An important part of
breaking down a curricular
competency in a unit of
learning is knowing that they
also need to be put back
together throughout and by
the end of the unit. When a
teacher has the individual
parts of the curricular competency determined, they would scaffold them
throughout the unit, starting with the simplest pieces progressing to the
more complex ones over time. This process allows for a more natural
progression in learning to occur for the students based on where they are
currently at in their learning and where to go next. As students progress in
their learning, and “repackage” or “put back together” the individual parts
of the curricular competency, they build capacity to succeed with the final
demonstration of their learning: the curricular competency itself.
Assessment Note: as the curricular competency is the aim of their

intended learning (i.e., curricular learning), this is what should be assessed
summatively so that what a student can do with the entirety of the learning
(i.e., all the parts of the curricular competency put back together) is being
24
assessed, and not the individual parts of the curricular competency (ideal
for formative assessment).
SUCCESS CRITERIA
S
uccess criteria are the specifics, or qualities of learning, that are used
to determine how successful a student is meeting the learning
intentions/goals in class each day. They are used to clarify what is
being looked for in student demonstrations of learning and help to create
an awareness of the purpose behind a learning activity (e.g., we are playing
this activity so that you can show….) and a sense of direction for how a
student can make improvements.
For the teacher, success criteria provide them with a clear sense of what to
look for when students are practicing with their learning, and what to
provide feedback on. The success criteria form a common language and
foundation between the teacher and the students helping to establish
transparency and understanding of what success looks like in a PHE class
setting.
The following points outline some steps to consider about success criteria
to ensure it is used effectively and can enhance student learning:
• It should be communicated with students and displayed for all to see

and refer to throughout the class
o Try to use it throughout the class as much as possible and not
just posting it at the start and visiting it at the end
• When possible, co-develop success criteria so that students develop
a deeper understanding of what success means
• It should be communicated in student-friendly language and
accessible for all students to understand
o Pay special attention to terms/concepts that students might
not have a prior exposure to (e.g., defense)
• If/when possible, provide examples of what the success criteria
looks like. If a student cannot see or imagine what success looks like,
it is incredibly challenging for them to know what to do to succeed
25
• The success criteria must be aligned with the specifics of what

students are learning/doing in class that day.
Success criteria help to answer, “How am I doing?” or “How are they doing?”
questions as outlined in the Formative Assessment in Action section. Figure
8 revisits this relationship to highlight the importance that success criteria
play in the learning and assessment processes.
Figure 8: Success Criteria and the 3 Questions

As outlined in the Formative Assessment in Action section, the green boxes are student
questions and yellow the boxes are for teachers. To answer these questions, and to make
informed teaching and learning decisions to support learning improvements, success
criteria need to be used in each class.
When success criteria are established, communicated, and used with

students throughout a PHE class, then effective feedback can be given to
confirm areas of strength and what area(s) a student can make
improvements in. Without the success criteria, students are left to guess at
what success might mean while having to rely on the teacher to confirm
whether they are succeeding in their learning.
For students, success criteria should be used when completing a self-

assessment and/or peer-assessment. It serves to provide them with a
necessary structure in a process that is often not practiced or developed
(i.e., self and/or peer-assessment) with them. For them to be able to
effectively self-assess, or assess their peers, they need clear information for
what to look for and provide feedback on, and that is the success criteria.
26
PROVIDING FEEDBACK
F
or many PHE teachers, providing feedback can feel intuitive and
natural. There are endless types of feedback that teachers can give
to students at any given time in a PHE class setting (e.g., thumbs
up/down, a shake of the head, words, etc.), but not all feedback is the same
and not all feedback helps to support student learning. For feedback to
effectively support students in making improvements in their learning,
there are some important points to consider that are outlined below.
Note: Feedback help to answer the third question, “What Can I Do Next?”
or “What Can I Do to Help Them?,” as outlined in the three questions in the
Formative Assessment in Action section.
IMPORTANT POINTS FOR FEEDBACK
Align with Success Criteria: Feedback should be aligned with the related
success criteria in class. This reinforces clarity and transparency for what is
expected/looked for in their learning.
Suggest, do not Direct: Feedback should be suggestive, not directive. For
learning to happen, students must be the ones to do the “work.” When/if a
teacher tells them exactly what to do, and they do as directed, then they are
simply replicating what the teacher learned/told them to do. Suggest areas for
a student to make improvements in and let them go away and make the
adjustments they feel need to be made (and continue this process). For
learning to occur, students must be the ones “doing the work.”
Timing is Critical: In many cases, providing feedback immediately/shortly
after learning has been demonstrated is very helpful to improve learning.
Waiting too long to provide feedback can lose the significance of it and/or the
moment could be forgotten and moved on from. However, in some cases,
waiting can also be helpful (especially if the student is reflecting) as the student
could benefit from processing all that happened and tries to make sense of it.
Whatever the case might be, make sure each student receives feedback in a
timely manner that is appropriate to supporting them in their learning.
Make it Personal About Learning, not as People: Each student deserves to
know exactly how they are progressing and what they can do to make
27
improvements in their learning. Providing each student with descriptive (and

suggestive) feedback based on their performance/demonstration will help
them to better understand what they as individuals can do next (vs. providing
group feedback). Also, be sure the feedback is about what was shown in the
learning and not about them as individuals (e.g., “you are lazy”). Personalize
the feedback in terms of it being based on what they demonstrated, or the
evidence they provided, but do not make it personal about them as individuals.
Give Them Space: While the idea of feedback can seem daunting (e.g., how
much to give), an essential point to remember about feedback is that it is only
effective if students have the time and space to process it and try something
new in class. If/when feedback is provided with little, or no time to process and
apply it, students will not benefit from it and the feedback loses its potential.
Keep it Simple: Feedback that is too wordy, too long, or too much will not
serve the student in their learning. Use the success criteria as a reference point
to discuss the feedback and strongly considering giving no more than 2-3 bits
of feedback at one time. While there might be more than needs to be addressed,
beware of information and processing overload, and focus on only a few things
for the student to consider doing next. You can always come back to the other
areas once they have succeeded with the initial points of feedback, if needed.
Praise is Not Feedback: in PHE, it is quite common to hear “feedback” like
“good job,” “way to go,” “that’s it”, and other similar lines. However, what all
these lines lack is any information or description about what the student did a
“good job” in, or what was being looked for. While these examples of praise
might seem enticing to give to boost self-esteem, they are not effective forms of
feedback to help students understand how they are doing with their learning.
If/when using these types of lines, strongly consider adding in what they did
well so that the student receives descriptive feedback and not just praise.
While feedback can be incredibly powerful in supporting student learning,

it can also be highly informative for the teacher in seeing what they need to
do next to support each student. When/if providing the same type of
feedback to several students, then that is a sign for the teacher to re-
consider their next steps in teaching that could support these students.
They might choose to do small group instruction, peer-peer instruction, or
other based on this information from the feedback.
28
Start Planning with a Learning Focus, Not Teaching
Planning first from a student learning perspective better equips the
teacher, and their teaching, to meet the students where they are at in
their learning instead of having to make a guess. In doing so, learning
experiences will be more appropriate and enjoyable for students
regardless of where they currently are.
Start with the End in Mind
The backwards design process (i.e., what students should know/be
able to do, what evidence will show us learning is happening, what
learning experiences will help them succeed?) should happen before
lesson design as it creates alignment and clarity between teaching
and learning. It helps to ensure that both teachers and students have
a shared knowledge of where the learning is going, how they will
know they are on the right track, and how they can get there.
Breaking Down Curricular Competencies

Unpacking curricular competencies into smaller, more manageable
pieces, allows for more effective teaching and learning in class.
Focusing on a few pieces of the learning at a time, and progressively
increasing in complexity, better enables students to practice and
develop their learning and allows the teacher to respond to and
support all students in their progress more appropriately.
It is important to “repackage” or “put back together” the individual

parts of the curricular competency when it is unpacked. The
curricular competency is the aim of their intended learning (not just
the individual parts) and putting the pieces back together for a
demonstration of learning allows the students to show what they can
do with this learning.
Success Criteria
Success criteria are the qualities of learning that are being looked for
whenever students are engaged with their learning. They help to
clarify what success looks like and where a student is currently at
29
whenever they are demonstrating their learning. Ideally, success

criteria are continually communicated with students and referred to
throughout the class (not just at the start or end), and whenever
possible, co-created with them.
Success criteria form the foundation of providing effective feedback

as the feedback itself should be based on what a student is currently
doing well and what can be improved upon. It is what students and
teachers use to make sense of and answer the questions of, “How am
I doing?” or “How are they doing?” with learning.
Providing Feedback
Effective feedback helps to answer the questions of, “What can I do
next?” or “What can I do to help them?” as it is aligned to the success
criteria and how successful students currently are with their
learning. It should provide areas of strength and suggestions, not
directions, of how to make improvements so that the student is the
one doing the thinking and “work” to improve in their learning.
Effective feedback should be provided in a timely manner and allow

students to have space and time in class to make the necessary
adjustments to their performances. Ideally, no more than 2-3 bits of
suggestive feedback are provided at a time to allow students to
effectively process and make the necessary adjustments.
QUICK TIPS
If backwards design is new and/or overwhelming, consider

starting with one curricular competency in a unit of learning.
Reflect on strengths and areas to grow, adjust, and try again.
Place success criteria on a wall/board (or other) for students to see
and refer to in a PHE class setting. Have them reflect on what they
did well and what to improve on by using the success criteria to
form their responses. Afterwards, have them reflect on the process
and the criteria to see how it worked, and what, if any, changes
30
might help them develop their self-assessment skills with the

success criteria.
When providing feedback in class, if/when you find yourself saying
“Good job,” or similar, finish that praise off with something specific
they did. This helps to transform your praise into feedback, giving
the student something specific about their performance.
Success criteria, providing effective feedback to improve learning,
backwards design, unpacking competencies and more all take time
and practice to do well. Just as we unpack competencies into
smaller parts to focus on building capacity to succeed, so too can
we give ourselves permission to focus on developing one area at a
time (if any area is determined by yourself to not be as strong as
others) instead of being able to do all of it now.
31
SECTION 3: ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Knowing about different assessment tools, their purpose,
and how to use them is essential to best support student
learning and improve instructional effectiveness.
COMMON ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Just as any tradesperson needs to have access to a variety of tools in their
tool kit, and a deep understanding of which ones to use and why, so too do
teachers need a variety of tools at their disposal to effectively teach and
support student learning. When it comes to assessment, there are several
types of tools a teacher can use, and understanding how they are designed,
intended to be used, how they can be used, and more is essential for
teachers to effectively support student learning.
While there are many types of assessment tools to consider using in a PHE
class, this teacher resource handbook will look at common assessment
tools and how they can be used to support student learning. By no means
is this section an exhaustive list of assessment tools, and we will explore
the following:
• Rubrics
• Frequency Scales
RUBRICS
R
ubrics are intended to describe the quality of a performance by
outlining criteria to be looked for with progressive descriptions of
success for each level of the performance (see Figure 9). As
educational researcher, scholar, author, and consultant Susan Brookhart
(2013) tells us, the “main purpose of rubrics is to assess performances” (p.
4). A rubric should have two major components: listed criteria (what
students are to demonstrate) and descriptions of performance (levels of
success for each criterion) (Brookhart, 2013).
32
Rubrics can be helpful for teachers and students in similar and separate
ways. For teachers, it allows them to focus on what to look for when
students are demonstrating their learning. As they match a student
demonstration with a performance description(s), this information helps
the teacher better understand where that student is currently at in their
learning and what they can do next to support them to make
improvements, if anything.
For students, the listed criteria clarify for them what is being looked for and
the performance descriptions tell them what success could look like for
each criterion. This can help to take away the guessing game of what they
are doing with their learning while also providing understanding of the
purpose behind the learning activities they are engaging with. Also, rubrics
can provide a necessary structure for self and/or peer-assessments as
criteria and performance descriptions are known and used to complete the
assessment.
Performance Level Descriptions

Criteria
Gets a bit of it Gets some of it Gets a lot of it Really gets it
Figure 9. Common Rubric Format

Note: Performance level titles are included for effect only (i.e., to show progressive
increase in success) and not intended to suggest actual titles to use. The Criteria (listed
along the left-hand side of the rubric) are the traits/parts of learning being looked for,
with the Performance Level Descriptions outlining what success could look like at each
level for that criterion.
Types of Rubrics
When thinking about rubrics, it is important to know that there are several
types that can vary in format and function. This teacher resource handbook
will look at some of the more common types of rubrics that can effectively
support student learning.
33
Analytic Rubrics
As the name implies, analytic rubrics analyze how well individual pieces of
learning are going separately from the entirety of it, or from a holistic
perspective (see more information about this in the Holistic Rubric
section). A particular strength of the analytic rubric is that it allows the
teacher to focus on teaching and/or assessing one criterion at a time (one
does not have to assess all criteria at one time), and students can also zone
in on this specific criterion to see how they are progressing and what can
be done to make improvements. For this reason, analytic rubrics are most
effective when they are used within the learning process and for formative
assessment purposes (i.e., they highlight where a student is currently at
with a specific part of their learning and what can help them to improve).
Analytic rubrics are one of the most used rubrics and look like the sample
in Figure 9, with a list of criteria in the left-hand column and performance
level descriptions progressing horizontally across the rubric. While the
number of performance levels described in an analytic rubric can vary, it is
important to ensure that there is a logical progression of success for
however many levels are being used. Another key point to consider is that
the more performance levels one uses in an analytic rubric, the more
challenging it gets to distinguish between the levels of success for each
criterion. Four performance level descriptions for each criterion are the
most used format, but it does not have to be.
4 Point Rubric (Analytic)
The design for the 4-point rubric is just as is laid out in Figure 9, with the criteria
listed on the left-hand column and four performance level descriptions listed
horizontally, progressing from minimal success to a very high level of success.
While some prefer listing the progressions from lowest to highest (i.e., start with
the lowest level of success next to the criteria column with the highest level of
success listed on the furthest right-hand side of the rubric), and others prefer
listing highest to lowest, it is more important to ensure that each performance
level descriptions outline clear progressions of success with a specific criterion.
See Figure 10 for an example of a 4-point analytic rubric with criteria and
performance level descriptions related to making a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich.
34
Gets a bit of it Gets some of it Gets a lot of it Really gets it

Sandwich is Sandwich is Sandwich is clean Sandwich is clean
Appearance somewhat clean mostly clean with with minor and
with indents some indents indents in bread level/balanced
and/or smudge and/or smudge
marks marks
Toppings are Toppings are Toppings are Toppings are
spread unevenly. spread somewhat spread evenly in spread evenly
Multiple spots evenly. A few most of sandwich. inside
have no toppings spots have one Minor imbalances
Toppings and/or drip out of topping and/or inside
the sandwich drip out of the
sandwich
Bread is cut with Bread is cut with Bread is mostly Bread is cut clean
Cutting bread jagged edges and straight and cut straight, with and straight with
uneven pieces jagged edges. minor rips along even size pieces
Some pieces are edges. Pieces are
cut evenly sized evenly
Figure 10. A 4-Point Rubric for Making a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich.
The content listed within the performance level description for each criterion
focus on a specific trait the student would demonstrate in that area (e.g.,
spreading of the toppings) and progress from a little bit of success to great
success. The trait is the same, but the level of success with that trait increases
with each level. This example is for effect only to highlight how a 4-point rubric
looks like and can be developed by teachers.
35
Pros Cons
• Clarifies what is being looked for • Can take time to develop
in the assessment performance level descriptions
• Makes assessment manageable as • Can be challenging to differentiate
teacher/student can look at one between levels
criterion at a time (or more if • If using for summative purposes,
desired) can be challenging to make an
• Information from assessment overall determination
informs next steps for instruction • Easy to get overwhelmed with too
and/or learning much information to consider
• Easy for students to set personal • Little space provided for
goals and plans for improvement personalized feedback
• Easy to use to monitor growth in
learning and for differentiating
instructional approaches
Single Point Rubric (Analytic)
The single-point rubric is like the four-point rubric in that it lists the criteria
down the left-hand column with the performance level descriptions to the right
of the criteria. What differentiates the single-point rubric from the four-point
rubric is that the single-point rubric only lists one performance level description
for each criterion instead of four. Figure 11 shows a general format for a single-
point rubric.
Performance Level
Criteria
Description
Feedback to improve Really gets it Feedback on strengths
Appearance Sandwich is clean and

level/balanced
Toppings Toppings are spread

evenly inside
Cutting Bread Bread is cut clean and

straight with even size
pieces
Figure 11. A Single-Point Rubric Using the Peanut Butter and Jelly
Sandwich
36
In Figure 11, the performance level description for the highest level of success
(i.e., Really gets it) is used to match with student performances. This level is the
only listed description of success for each criterion, with the empty rows on
either side allowing for personalized feedback on what they did well (i.e., their
strengths) to the right of the performance description, and what they can do to
improve to the left of the performance description. While some prefer to use the
second highest level of success, or proficiency, for the performance level
description, using the highest level of success allows teachers to teach and assess
to the highest levels of success rather than keeping it unknown. By clarifying and
using the highest level of success for each criterion, students will have a clearer
image of what that could look like and continue to use personalized feedback to
make those improvements.
Pros Cons
• Easy to create and use with • Can take time to write
students personalized feedback
• Space for personalized feedback • Can be a challenge for students
on strengths and how to improve who want to consider more than
• Do not have multiple performance one piece of success criteria
levels to consider • Can be a challenge to use for
• Unlikely to get overwhelmed with differentiating instructional
too many words approaches
• Easy for students to use for self • Not helpful for summative
and/or peer-assessments assessment purposes
Holistic Rubrics
Holistic rubrics consider the entirety of what was being learning, or the
“whole” of learning, rather than the individual parts (i.e., analytic rubrics).
This type of rubric should be used at the end of the learning process (rather
than during) where students have had time to engage with the individual
parts of learning, build their success with them, and then eventually put all
the pieces back together in a demonstration of learning. Holistic rubrics are
used by teachers for summative assessment purposes to make an overall
professional judgement on how well a student was able to demonstrate
their learning of a particular curricular competency. As such, holistic
rubrics are intended to evaluate the level of learning at the end of the
learning process, not to improve it.
37
Holistic rubrics consider how well a student can use all the learned criteria
at one time to assess the overall quality of their demonstration of learning.
The performance level descriptions tend to be written in a different format
than an analytic rubric, with broader, more holistic descriptions of success
(see Figure 12). Also, rather than listing criteria in the left-hand column,
titles (e.g., emerging, developing, proficient, extending, or 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) are
listed with related performance descriptions appearing to the right of
them. Whatever assessment scale (e.g., 1-4 scale, proficiency scale, etc.) a
teacher uses for a summative assessment should appear in the left-hand
column.
Success Performance Description

Level
4 The sandwich is clean with the peanut butter and jelly spread evenly on
the inside of the bread. It is cut evenly and with straight edges making it
easy to hold and eat without getting messy.
3 The sandwich appears clean with the peanut butter and jelly spread
mostly even on the inside of the bread. It is cut evenly with mostly
straight edges and is easy to hold and eat without getting messy.
2 The sandwich appears somewhat clean on the outside with the peanut
butter and jelly spread mostly even on this inside of the bread. A few
spots have more peanut butter and/or jelly. It is cut somewhat evenly
cut with a mix of straight and jagged edges. It can be held and eaten with
minimal drips of peanut butter and/or jelly on the hand.
1 The sandwich appears mostly clean on the outside with a few smudge
marks or indents on the surface of the sandwich. The peanut butter and
jelly are noticeably spread unevenly, or in excessive amounts, on this
inside of the bread. It is cut unevenly and with jagged edges making it
tough to hold and eat without peanut butter and/or jelly falling on the
hand.
Figure 12. A Holistic Rubric: Making a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
This example is used for effect only. The idea behind the descriptions is to consider all
the criteria at one time and how well the student was able to demonstrate their overall
learning. In this example, the criteria could be presentation of the sandwich, applying
the toppings, and cutting skills. How well the student puts them all together to make, cut,
and present the sandwich is what is being assessed.
38
Pros Cons
• Effective for summative • No information for how a student
assessment purposes can improve learning, or how a
• Allows teachers to make one teacher can use it to improve
overall judgement about learning instruction
instead of many judgements on • Some performances might blend
individual parts into two or more descriptions. It
• Assessment can be completed can require inferences and an
quickly overall decision to be made
• Easier to use for grading and
reporting purposes (compared to
analytic rubrics)
Developmental Rubrics
Developmental rubrics will have similar formats and functions as an

analytic rubric (i.e., look at pieces of learning and how students are doing),
but the major difference between them is that they are used for skills
known to take a long time to develop (e.g., movement skills), and not
necessarily used for all learning standards (i.e., curricular competencies
and content) in a PHE class. Like analytic rubrics, it is more appropriate to
use them for formative assessment purposes (vs. summative) as time is a
natural factor in excelling in this area of learning, and most reporting
periods do not provide enough time for noticeable growth to occur.
Another benefit of development rubrics is when/if a department or school

uses the information from the rubrics (ideally with students) to monitor
growth and development over a span of years, not just in a course. The idea
of “horizontal progress and vertical growth” (see Figure 13) promotes that
students progress in certain skills (i.e., ones that we know take a long time)
throughout a PHE course, and as they move up to the next grade level, they
39
continue growing in these skills as the information from the developmental

rubrics follows them (from a formative perspective, not summative).
Figure 13. Horizontal Progress and Vertical Growth

When developmental rubrics are used to assess student skill development in those skills
that are known to take a long time to develop, students can progress in that skill
throughout their current PHE class and carry that information with them into the next
grade level PHE class. This information allows the teacher to know where each student
is currently at with these skills from the previous year, and how to support them in the
current year. For students, they can pick up where they left off in the previous year
focusing on continuing to develop these skills (and more) as they rise through upper
year PHE classes.
FREQUENCY SCALES
F
requency scales can look like a rubric, but they are not rubrics. Their
intention is to measure how often a behaviour or action occurs, but
not how well it occurs (or the quality of a performance) like a rubric
does. These scales can be helpful when what is being looked for is not
something that is going to be delineated, in terms of differing degrees of
success or different qualities, but the rate at which they are demonstrated
and/or observed. Common titles used in a frequency scale include rarely,
sometimes, usually, always (or similar) as they relate to a specific action
(usually listed below these titles).
When considering the use of a frequency scale, it is important to determine

what is going to be measured and whether a frequency scale is appropriate.
It is not uncommon for a curricular competency statement to be listed with
40
the frequency titles appearing above them (see Figure 14). The challenge
with this approach is that it presumes a student can perform that curricular
competency, but it does not inform how well they can do it. Furthermore,
this type of frequency scale would have little, if any, influence on student
learning as it provides no information on which movement skill is being
assessed, or an area of strength or how to improve. As an evaluation tool
for summative and/or grading purposes, it is not helpful or accurate either
as it does not inform what the student was learning or to what level of
success they achieved with it, only how often something was observed.
Rarely Sometimes Often Always

Develop, refine, Develop, refine, Develop, refine, Develop, refine,
and apply and apply and apply and apply
fundamental fundamental fundamental fundamental
movement skills in movement skills in movement skills in movement skills in
a variety of a variety of a variety of a variety of
physical activities physical activities physical activities physical activities
and environments and environments and environments and environments
Figure 14. A Frequency Scale

A common use of a frequency scale listing a curricular competency with a frequency title.
As this curricular competency can be unpacked, and students can demonstrate their
learning at different levels of success, this would not be an appropriate use for a
frequency scale or a tool to use to assess this curricular competency.
Frequency scales can be helpful to use when assessing student work habits,
as these could be observed without having to create different levels of
success. Figure 15 shows how this might look with effort being the work
habit being assessed. Note that effort is something a student repeatedly
does/shows throughout the PHE course, and not something that is
necessarily taught to them, and therefore, it is should be assessed as a work
habit.
41
Rarely Sometimes Often Always

Participates with Participates with Participates with Participates with
effort in physical effort in physical effort in physical effort in physical
activity activity activity activity
Figure 15. A Frequency Scale Listing an Effort Work Habit

Using effort as a work habit in the frequency scale allows the teacher, and the student(s),
to effectively assess how frequently the student participates with effort (especially when
the student can self-assess), rather than trying to differentiate different levels of success
with it.
As work habits are not part of the intended learning for students (i.e.,
curricular learning) in a PHE class, they should be assessed and reported
on separately from the intended learning. While this idea might conflict
with traditional practices and/or beliefs about the role of work habits in
assessing and grading student learning in PHE, it is not appropriate to
blend them together when trying to communicate student learning
achievement. Doing so distorts the information about what the student was
able to achieve with their learning and how they are doing with their work
habits. Keeping them separate, and reporting on them separately, allows
the assessment information to be more accurate and reliable for both their
learning and their work habits.
Rubrics
Rubrics are intended to describe the quality of a performance, or a
demonstration of student learning. They list specific criterion that
are being looked at with aligned performance descriptions to help
match the demonstration of learning with (as best as possible).
When used effectively, rubrics provide information for the teacher
and student about where the learning is currently and what can be
done next to make improvements (depending on the type of rubric).
Analytic Rubrics
Focus on individual parts of the learning with specific criteria to look
for and their related performance level descriptions. These types of
42
rubrics are most effective within the learning process, and for
formative assessment purposes, as they allow focus to be on smaller
areas of the learning and how to make improvements in them.
Common examples of analytic rubrics include the 4-point rubric and
the single-point rubric.
Holistic Rubric
Whereas analytic rubrics analyze individual parts of learning, a
holistic rubric considers how well a student can put all the parts of
their learning together in a single performance (not to be confused
with a single attempt). All the individual criteria learned and
assessed during the learning process should be combined into a
single overall description of success at various levels (usually 4). As
this type of rubric considers how well a student can perform the
entirety of the specific learning standard (or curricular competency),
they should be used for summative assessment purposes, as one
does not usually provide feedback for how to improve on these
rubrics.
Developmental Rubrics
These types of rubrics are ideal for skills that are known to take a
long time to develop and become proficient in (e.g., movement
skills), and as such, they are not ideal to use for summative
assessment purposes. In appearance and structure, they tend to look
like analytic rubrics. Developmental rubrics can be used throughout
a course (horizontal progress) and passed on as the student moves
up through the grade levels (vertical growth).
Frequency Scales
Frequency scales are used to observe how often a certain behaviour
occurs over a period of time, but they are not a rubric. They do not
consider how well a student has demonstrated something, but how
often they do it. As such, they are useful for work habits or other
traits that do not need to be broken down into various levels of
performance success.
43
Quick Tips
If the assessment tool being used does not supply information

about what the students are learning, or how they are progressing,
the tool should be re-considered.
When using any type of analytic rubric, all the criteria do not have
to be assessed at one time. Focusing on one or two criteria allows
the teacher to better see what a student can do and allows for more
effective feedback to be provided (i.e., feedback is more
manageable). Lastly, focusing on one or two areas allows the
teacher to see more effectively what might need more attention
and they can make the necessary instructional decisions.
One of the easiest things to do when considering a rubric is to
critique the language, look, or other. Revisiting rubrics is a good
thing and should be done to ensure they are accessible for students
and supplying the necessary information on student learning. They
do not have to be perfect, but they should be useable in proper
ways.
It is common to see 4-point rubrics listing strengths-based
language for the two highest levels of performance, and then the
lower levels listing what a student has not done (or deficit-based
language). Be consistent with strengths-based language by
describing what learning at each level looks like, or what a student
would show at each level, not a mix of this and then what is missing.
In PHE, work habits are particularly important. When they are
blended with intended learning, they lose their meaning and no
information is communicated to students and/or their
caregiver(s) about them. Assess and report on them separately
from intended learning so that both the student and the
caregiver(s) know how their learning is going and how their work
habits are progressing as well.
44
SECTION 4: COMMUNICATING STUDENT LEARNING

Grading and communicating student learning is more valid
and accurate when based on intended learning.
All grades and grading systems/processes are imperfect.
Professional judgement is important when determining a
grade.
WHAT IS A GRADE?
G
rades are symbols used to summarize and communicate
information about student learning achievement. They are used for
summative assessment and reporting purposes (i.e., on report
cards), and depending on the grade level, the grades used could be:
• Proficiency scale levels

• Letter grades
• Percentages
• Other
o E.g., IB school (1-7 scale)
o Work habits (separate from intended learning)
Depending on the grade level, a teacher might have to use multiple grades
for reporting purposes (e.g., letter grades, percentages, and proficiency
scale levels). There are challenges associated with this task, as the symbols
used do not mean the same thing, and it is beyond the scope of this teacher
resource handbook to “fix” these problems. Also, as there are many ways a
teacher can determine a grade, this teacher resource handbook does not
pretend to offer “the” solution, but rather provides a range of options. This
section will highlight various grading processes to ensure what is graded
and communicated is a valid and accurate summary of student learning.
WHAT GOES INTO A GRADE?
I
t is not a secret that grading in PHE has a long history of concerning
practices that have had a range of influences on students. Common
stories of grading practices based on isolated skills tests, personal
45
fitness tests, being compared to other students, reducing grades for not
participating in activities (e.g., a student does not enjoy it or is not able to
participate in it), and other grading practices that reinforce a sorting and
ranking approach (i.e., favouring those who have more access to and
experience with activities) have long contributed to a negative and critical
perception of grading in PHE. Furthermore, many of these traditional
practices contribute to a fragmented and/or negative relationship with
PHE class, and physical movement itself, as the grades become more about
the students themselves, and not about their learning.
To help ensure that grades,

and the grading process, do
not “grade the individual”
and/or develop of negative
core beliefs of self in PHE,
teachers need to ensure that
what forms a grade is the
intended student learning
(i.e., curricular learning) with
evidence of student success with it. This does not mean all students will
succeed at the same level or that everyone gets an “A;” rather, it means that
evidence of student achievement with the intended learning is compared
to related success criteria to determine a grade. In this way, the ability of
the grade to summarize and communicate student learning, and their level
of success, is valid and accurate as it focuses on their learning and not other
factors.
Work Habits
Work habits are very important to the success of any student in PHE.
Traditionally, work habits (the behaviours and actions students are asked to
demonstrate daily) are blended with evidence of intended learning as part of the
grades and grading process. Some reasons for this include the belief that if they
are not “graded,” then students will simply opt out or not try hard, or that they
are as important, if not more important than their intended learning. While these
perspectives, and others, can be discussed and debated, what is certain is that
when work habits (or non-learning factors) are included in the grading process
46
with information about intended learning, then the entire process and the
resulting grade lose clarity and meaning. The two different sources of
information make it impossible to know with clarity what students were
learning, how successful they were with it, what work habits they were focusing
on and how successful they were with them.
To bring validity and focus to student work habits, teachers should assess and
report on them separately from student intended learning (i.e., curricular
learning). By doing so, students, caregivers, and teachers can better understand
how students are progressing in the work habits and how to effectively support
them. This also signals to the students and caregivers that the work habits are
important enough to focus on in class and on the report sent home. When they
are mixed with the intended learning in the grading process, they lose their focus
and importance resulting in little desire to pay attention to on a report card
and/or in a PHE class; the opposite of what is ideal.
As outlined in the Summative Assessment section, summative assessment

information should be what is graded and eventually used for reporting
purposes (see Figure 16). For ideas on how to use grades from summative
assessments to determine an overall grade for reporting purposes, see the
Determining Grades section.
Figure 16. What Information to Use for Grading

When what students are intended to learn forms what will be assessed for summative
purposes, then the information gathered from the assessment will be a more valid and
accurate summary of their achievement in learning.
ORGANIZING GRADEBOOKS
The organization of a teacher’s gradebook has a significant influence on
how evidence of learning is gathered, graded, and reported on. When the
gradebook is organized by what students are learning (see Figure 17 and
18), as compared to unrelated categories (see Figure 19), then the teacher
47
will have a clear picture of how each student is doing in their learning, how
they have progressed throughout the reporting period and/or year, and
updated information to use for determining a grade for reporting purposes.

Figure 17. A Student Gradebook Page Organized by Curricular Competencies
This gradebook page (for a single student) is organized by what they are learning in the
class (i.e., curricular competencies) with the chosen grading scale (proficiency scale)
used for summative assessments throughout the learning period (E=Emerging,
D=Developing, P=Proficient, Ex=Extending). Each time a summative assessment occurs
for a particular curricular competency, this sheet is updated with the appropriate grade.
Dates of the summative assessment can also be listed for record keeping purposes.
Figure 18. A Class Gradebook Page Organized by Curricular Competencies

Like the gradebook page in Figure 17, this class gradebook page is organized by the
curricular competencies learned in the reporting period. As students receive a grade on
48
a summative assessment for each curricular competency, they are recorded under the
appropriate heading (e.g., CC1) with the most recent grade appearing to the right of the
box (earlier grades to the left of each box). Example: Steve’s first summative grade for
CC1 was an “E” (Emerging) and the next summative score was also an “E”. The most
recent summative score was a “D” (Developing).
While the types of gradebooks shown in Figures 17 and 18 are

considerably different from traditional gradebooks (see Figure 19), they
are easily created in Microsoft Word, Excel, pen and paper, as well as some
software programs. The gradebooks can have as much or as little
information as desired by the teacher (e.g., date, assessment type, etc.) to
help ensure that the information being used to determine a summary grade
is accurate and based off what the students were learning and how they did
with it.
PHE Grading Outline

Knowledge /10%
Skills /5%
Fitness /10%
Personal & Social Responsibility /25%
Participation/Effort /50%
OVERALL /100%
Figure 19. A Traditional Gradebook Outline
In this example, the gradebook is organized by category headings which may, or may not
be, what students are intended to learn in the class. Category headings and weightings
can vary when these types of gradebooks are used.
The example of a traditional gradebook in Figure 19 uses category

headings to separate and tally marks that are gathered within a learning
period. Some challenges about using gradebooks like these are that the
headings do not specify what students are learning or to what level of
success they achieved with that learning. Also, some of the categories might
not be part of their intended learning, such as the Personal & Social
Responsibility and Participation/Effort categories. As these categories do
not specify what learning is aligned to these categories, it is unclear what
49
falls into these categories and whether they should be considered in the
grade for learning. As such, the validity and accuracy of these grades is
called into question as they are not aligned with the intended student
learning or how successful they were with them.
DETERMINING A GRADE
W
hen it comes to grading student learning, it is important to note
that there are no perfect processes or formulas, and that all of
the processes have challenges associated with them. In fact, the
idea that student learning can be summarized into a single grade, or
symbol, is inaccurate and years of research has shown this. However, there
are practices teachers can use to ensure their grading processes are more
valid and accurate of student learning achievement, such as:
• Knowing and using consistent grading scales

• Minimize use of percentage scale grade
• Using professional judgement
• Using a logic rule
GRADING SCALES
I
n BC schools, teachers will have a range of grading scales that they will
have to use to grade student learning, depending on the grade levels
and type of school being considered (e.g., public or private). The most
common grade scales to use in BC schools include, but not limited to:
• Proficiency scale
• Letter grades
• Percentages
• Work habits (separate from learning grades)
For teachers who use more than one grading scale (e.g., letter grades,
proficiency scales, percentages), it is important that they know and
understand what each grading scale means, as they do not mean the same
thing (e.g., letter grade meanings do not mean the same as proficiency scale
50
meanings). See Figures 20 and 21 for an overview of the meanings of letter

grades and proficiency scales.
Figure 20. Letter Grade Meanings from the BC Ministry of Education

The descriptions for letter grades A through C- are essentially the same, with the
differing factor highlighted in yellow (added for effect).
Figure 21: BC Proficiency Scale Meanings

Descriptions for the proficiency scale levels with the yellow highlights added for effect.
Like the letter grade scale, the descriptions are like each other with the degree of success
being the differentiating factor. Notice that the proficiency scale descriptors are similar,
but not the same as the letter grade descriptors.
51
When a teacher is required to use more than one grade scale, it is helpful to
consider using one scale throughout all the summative assessments and
grading process until the other grading scales are needed (i.e., completing
a report card). Trying to convert different scales into one coherent grade
on a report card is a challenging task as they do not have the same
meanings. See the example below:
Example
Competency Competency Competency Competency
1 2 3 4
Thomas 83% Proficient 2 B
Amir 65% Developing 3 B
Mei Ling 78% Extending 4 B
Gareema 90% Developing 4 A
In this example, the teacher has organized their gradebook by the curricular
competencies focused on in that reporting period with the different grade scales
they used in the summative assessment (i.e., percentages, proficiency scale, 1-4
scale, and letter grades). The challenge with this example is that when it comes
time to form a report card grade there is no consistent information to determine
a grade for each student. The grading scales have different symbols and different
meanings, leading to an impossible task to summarize and communicate how
well each student learned in that reporting period.
DELAY THE PERCENTAGE
T
he percentage scale has long been critiqued and questioned for its
accuracy in grading learning, its ability to communicate learning, its
continued use in schools, and more with little to no indication that
it is going away anytime soon (at least in BC schools). Sadly, while some
hold that percentages are an accurate way to grade learning, research over
the last century has shown otherwise, with incredible inconsistencies
grading student work in writing (subjective work) and solving problems
related to mathematics.
One of the major challenges with using a percentage scale is that it consists
of 101 levels (i.e., 0-100) of success, or proficiency, to use when considering
52
evidence of student learning, and that is an impossible task for any human
being. Furthermore, no percentage score has a qualitative description to
differentiate between other percentage scores (e.g., what is the difference
between a 70 and a 73?) making it even more confusing what these grades
might mean. Nobody can distinguish between 101 levels of success for any
task, no matter how strongly one feels about the percentage scale.
While the use of percentages might provide a sense of objectivity for

grading student learning (e.g., the score/grade is objective because that is
what the math shows it to be), it is important to remember that the
determination of what to include in the assessment, what weighting to
provide, how students might demonstrate their learning, and more, are all
human decisions, or subjective decisions made by the teacher, department,
school, or other policies. While the formula used to arrive at a grade might
appear “bias-free,” it is not as objective as some might believe it is.
While the use of percentages in BC schools might not be going away any
time soon (for grades 10-12), that does not mean that teachers must use
them as they have traditionally been used. One way to minimize the
influence of the percentage scale is to only determine them, when
necessary, which in most cases is at report card time, unless mandated
otherwise by local policy. In doing so, teachers can avoid the frustrating
exercise to understand and explain what the percentage scores mean and
wait to convert their grades to a percentage (when policy requires) as one
of the last steps in forming a grade for reporting purposes (see the Logic
Rule section for more information on this). After all, the latest BC Reporting
Order (June 2022) only stipulates that percentage grades must be given for
Learning Updates, Summaries of Learning, and/or for the Insufficient
Evidence (“IE”) symbol, if using percentages within a reporting period.
USING PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT
T
eachers use their professional judgement all the time when they
decide what to teach, how to teach it, what supports to offer to
students, when to take a break, and more. However, if/when a
teacher uses their professional judgement for grading purposes, this tends
53
to be met with less acceptance than the other professional decisions

they’ve made. Just as doctors, lawyers, judges, mechanics, and other
professionals make decisions based on the information they have in front
of them, so too can teachers use their professional judgement when it
comes to assessing and grading student learning.
When a teacher moves away from the perceived “objective” way to grade
(i.e., percentages), there can be feelings and/or perceptions of decisions
being “too subjective,” “biased,” or “personally subjective.” One way to
overcome this narrative is to ensure that judgements made about student
learning are based on the evidence gathered from an assessment and is
compared to the pre-established success criteria (see the Success Criteria
section for more information) to make a professional decision on. In this
way, the judgements made are not personal, but rather professional as the
teacher uses their expertise to make a professional judgement on how well
a student demonstrated their learning. This can, and should, occur within
the learning period and when determining a grade for reporting purposes.
Another way to help teachers move on from using percentages for grading
purposes is to consider the median or mode from summative scores.
Considering the most frequently occurring grade (i.e., mode), or the grade
that is the middle score from a series of grades (i.e., median), allows the
teacher to make a professional judgement for an overall grade without
having to resort to percentages (or averages). This can be particularly
helpful if/when using an analytic rubric for summative assessment
purposes or when getting ready to determine an overall grade for a report
card. See Figure 22 for an example of this.
54
Figure 22. Using Professional Judgement Example (for effect only)

A sample grade sheet looking at student summative assessment scores for the curricular
competency of “Apply methods of monitoring and adjusting exertion levels in physical
activity.” The dates represent when summative assessment information was gathered
with each student having six grades listed. The grading scale used was a coded 1-4, with
1=Emerging, 2=Developing, 3=Proficient, 4=Extending (note: these numbers do not
correspond to percentages).
In Figure 22, each student had six summative grades for the same
curricular competency. Below is a brief explanation of how professional
judgement could be used to determine an overall grade for each student:
John
A natural learning progression starting with lower levels of success
and gradually increasing over time. With the scores of 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3,
the teacher determined an overall grade of 3 (or proficient) for this
curricular competency. The teacher did not take an average of these
scores as what John is currently able to do would be skewed by the
earlier attempts in learning, and that would not be an accurate
portrayal of what John can do.
Kim
Like John, Kim has a natural progression (mostly) in learning
achievement with a slight dip for the second summative assessment
(numerous reasons for this). The general trend for Kim is upwards
with the scores of 2, 1, 3, 4, 4, 4 and the teacher determines an overall
grade of 4 for Kim and this curricular competency.
55
Gurjot
Gurjot started with minimal success and then quickly demonstrated
high levels of success with this curricular competency, up until the
last score (Nov 08). While the trend in scores was quite high,
suddenly a lower score happened (i.e., a 1) which did not fit with the
trajectory Gurjot was on.
Rather than use the Nov 08 grade of 1, which is an outlier and skews
the grading information, the teacher could/should explore with
Gurjot what happened on this summative assessment. There could
be many valid reasons why Gurjot scored a 1 on this date (e.g., family
emergency) and seeing that the grade does not fit the other data
about Gurjot’s learning, this score should be omitted. In this case,
teachers would use their professional judgement of what they see
and know about Gurjot’s learning (as recorded in the grade sheet) to
determine that an overall grade of 4 could be valid for this curricular
competency (using professional judgement of the trend) or
determine that an overall grade of 3 is more appropriate as that
would be the median score. While these scores (4 or 3) are not
consistent, both are determined by using professional judgement
based on evidence of learning, which is more accurate than any
formula to arrive at a percentage grade.
When it comes time to determine an overall grade for a report card,

teachers can use the same process as outlined above. Considering the
student’s overall grades for the curricular competencies learned in a
reporting period, teachers go through the same process as in Figure 22 to
determine what is the most accurate grade that represents a student’s level
of achievement with their learning. See Figure 23 for an example of this.
56
Figure 23. Using Professional Judgement to Determine an Overall Grade

In this example, a student’s summative scores for each curricular competency learned
in the reporting period has been determined and checked off in the chart. Looking at this
information, the overall grade for this report card could be determined to be a 4, or
“Extending”, as that is the median, mode, and would best fit with one of the four
proficiency scale levels (there is no level between Proficient and Extending level).
While any of these examples might arrive at a different grade than the use
of percentages would, they allow teachers to use their professional
judgement to grade student learning instead of calculating to multiple
decimal points. Indeed, this is a stretch from traditional grading practices,
but it is one that better honours the professionalism of teachers and
validates their professional expertise more than any type of mathematical
formula could do. Grading is never perfect (humans are imperfect), but it
can be better than relying on the use of antiquated formulas to calculate a
grade.
THE LOGIC RULE
L
ogic rules are like “If/then” statements in that they outline a series
of conditions or parameters for how a final grade can be determined.
It allows for teacher professional judgement (e.g., teachers can set
the “if/then” parameters) focusing on the more recent and consistent
evidence of student learning. Like all ways to determine a grade, including
percentages, there are benefits and drawbacks to the Logic Rule. However,
for BC teachers who are required to use different grading scales in their
classes, and eventually converting to an overall grade/symbol, the Logic
57
Rule does provide a helpful way to consider how to convert and determine
an overall grade. The screen shot in Figure 24 below comes from the Yukon
as they use the BC curriculum in their schools (see the References section
for links to this guide and for their K-9 guide).
Figure 24. Yukon’s Logic Rule Converting Guide

While this converting chart might use different proficiency level titles in the
far-left hand column, BC teachers could easily switch out the title names to
meet the ones used in BC.
How It Works
To determine a grade for a student, the teacher would look at their grades within
a reporting period and compare with this guide. If a student had an overall
proficiency scale level of “Extending,” and then had all 4s on their summative
assessments (when the 1-4 scales are used), then their percentage would be
between 86-100. Using this guide and looking to the right of the “All 4s” under
the “Logic Rule” title, we see that someone with “All 4s” receives a percentage of
100 and a letter grade of an A.
The idea behind the different percentage levels related to each letter grade score
(and proficiency level and logic rule level) is to minimize how many percentage
grade levels would be considered for an overall grade, while still adhering to the
policy of having to provide percentages, letter grades, and proficiency scale
58
levels. It allows a flowchart (of sorts) to be used to clarify how overall grades are
determined so that students, caregivers, administration, and more are clear on
how the grades are determined, and what they mean. Indeed, it is not perfect, but
it is something that can help to accommodate the different grades used in BC
schools, while helping teachers consider how they can more accurately
determine a grade aligned to student learning achievement.
One of the common downfalls of the Logic Rule is that sometimes students
will not fit nicely into what formula is created. When this happens, teachers
should use their professional judgement (not personal) to determine an
overall grade that best summarizes student learning achievement.
Grades
Grades are symbols used to summarize and communicate student
learning achievement with their intended learning (i.e., curricular
learning).
What Goes into a Grade

To ensure grades are valid and accurate representations of student
learning, they should be based off their intended learning and how
successful they are with it. Other areas of student learning, such as
work habits, can and should be assessed and reported on separately
from the intended learning so that this information is clear and
supportive of student growth in these areas (i.e., work habits).
Organizing Gradebooks
How a teacher’s gradebook is organized will directly influence what
is graded and what is communicated about student learning. When
gradebooks are organized by student learning (i.e., curricular
competencies), it is easier for teachers and students to see what
students are learning, how successful they are with it, and use this
information to determine an overall grade.
Organizing gradebooks by categories can make it hard to understand

what students are learning or how successful they are in it
59
(especially when the categories are not related to their intended

learning).
Determining a Grade
Determining a grade is not the same thing as calculating a grade. To
determine a grade, teachers use their professional judgement based
on the gathered evidence of student learning achievement to decide
on the overall grade that best summarizes their learning
achievement. It relies on the professional expertise of the teacher
used throughout the learning period and at the end of it to
communicate how successful students were with their learning.
Calculating a grade relies on teacher made formulas based on point

accumulation throughout the learning period in certain created
categories. The number that is computed gives the illusion of
objectivity, but the entire process to arrive at that number is based
on subjective decisions made by the teacher or other.
Ways to determine a grade could include using professional

judgement, using the median and/or mode, and the Logic Rule.
QUICK TIPS
All grades and grading process are imperfect and have challenges
with them. Aim to use grades and grading processes that are based
on student learning achievement with their intended learning.
Determine which grades and grading processes will be used before
classes begin. Having these in place will save time and frustration
when grading eventually happens.
Share grading practices with students so that they have a clear
understanding of what symbols will be used, what they mean, and
how grades for their learning are determined.
60
When and where possible, include students in the grading process.

Students can consider their evidence of learning achievement with
the processes to determine a grade and discuss with the teacher.
This helps to minimize the surprise of grades while also creating a
sense of transparency in how grades are determined.
Grades are meant to summarize and communicate individual
learning achievement with intended learning, and they should
never be reserved or withheld. Perceptions or beliefs like “not
everyone can get an A,” or “nobody can get an “Extending” until the
end of the year” create artificial barriers to grading and greatly
distort the purpose and professional act of grading. This would be
an act of personal judgement and not a professional one. Teachers
should judge the evidence of learning against the established
success criteria/processes and let the grades fall where they do.
61
REFERENCES
Annerstedt, C. &. Larsson, S. (2010). I have my own picture of what the
demands are: Grading in Swedish PEH - problems of validity,
comparability and fairness. European Physical Education Review 16
(2), pp. 97–115.
Brookhart, S. (2013). How to Create and Use Rubrics for Formative
Assessment and Grading. ASCD
Dinan-Thompson, M., and D. Penney. 2015. "Assessment literacy in
primary physical education." European Physical Education Review
21 (4): 485-503
Hay, P.J., and D. Penney. 2009. "Proposing conditions for assessment
efficacy in physical education." European Physical Education Review
15 (3): 389-405.
International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education
(AIESEP). (2020). AIESEP Position Statement on Physical Education
Assessment. AIESEP Flash Blog. https://aiesep.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/06/AIESEP-Position-Statement-on-PE-
Assessment-FINAL1.pdf
López-Pastor, V.M., D. Kirk, E. Lorente-Catalán, A. MacPhail, and D.
Macdonald. 2013. "Alternative assessment in physical education: a
review of international literature." Sport, Education and Society 18
(1): 57-76.
Thorburn, M. 2007. "Achieving conceptual and curriculum coherence in
high-stakes school examinations in Physical Education." Physical
Education and Sport Pedagogy 12 (2): 163-84.
Veal, M.L. 1988. "Pupil Assessment Perceptions and Practices of
Secondary Teachers." Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 7
(4): 327-42.
Yukon Education. (n.d.). Yukon Grade Conversion Guide Teachers.
http://lss.yukonschools.ca/uploads/4/5/5/0/45508033/yukon_grad
e_conversion_guide_teachers.pdf
62

Assessment in Phe Teacher Resource Handbook

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Assessment in Phe Teacher Resource Handbook

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ASSESSMENT IN PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

DETERMINING A GRADE .................................................................................. 50

T his teacher resource handbook is intended for K-12 teachers in

WHO IS THIS HANDBOOK FOR?

The four sections are:

KEY MESSAGES AND IDEAS

SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF ASSESSMENT

DEFINING FOUNDATIONAL TERMS

that they can make an

Teacher use Student use

WHAT ASSESSMENT IS AND IS NOT

For assessment to effectively support and improve student learning, it

Traditionally, assessment has been thought of and used as a noun (see

Figure 1. Assessment as a Noun

For assessment to effectively support students in their learning, and

Example-End of Term Fitness Tests

USE ASSESSMENT AS A VERB

mean that assessment should receive an equal focus and/or intention as

Figure 2. Using assessment as a verb

Formative Assessment in Action

Figure 3. Formative Assessment: 3 Questions

Assessment as Learning (Green)

Figure 4. Summative Assessment: 2 Questions

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

Figure 5. Diagnostic or pre-assessment prompts to consider

An ipsative assessment aims

Figure 6. Ipsative assessment

Ipsative assessments are especially helpful in PHE for skills or outcomes

WHEN TO USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

Using assessment Planning and Next steps in Grading and

Formative Very helpful Very helpful Not helpful

Diagnostic Very helpful Can be helpful Not helpful

Ipsative Very Helpful Very Helpful Not helpful

Summative Not Helpful Not Helpful Very helpful

Table 1: Assessment Types and Needs

Formative: Using assessment information to determine what to do

Assessment for Learning: teachers using assessment information

Assessment as Learning: students using assessment information

Summative: Using assessment information to evaluate and

SECTION 2: CLARIFYING AND ALIGNING TEACHING

A more productive and

a) What are students going to learn about?

provincial curriculum. Indeed, they are important and

In this unit, students will know and be able to:

How we will know learning is happening

What do students need to learn about and do to succeed with this?

• What teachers teach, students learn

Figure 7. Backwards Planning Flowchart

BREAKING DOWN CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES

When curricular competencies are broken down into smaller pieces, it

are excelling can be appropriately challenged (i.e., next steps in learning)

For the teacher, breaking down curricular competencies makes teaching

Assessment Note: as the curricular competency is the aim of their

• It should be communicated with students and displayed for all to see

• The success criteria must be aligned with the specifics of what

Figure 8: Success Criteria and the 3 Questions

When success criteria are established, communicated, and used with

For students, success criteria should be used when completing a self-

IMPORTANT POINTS FOR FEEDBACK

improvements in their learning. Providing each student with descriptive (and

While feedback can be incredibly powerful in supporting student learning,

Breaking Down Curricular Competencies

It is important to “repackage” or “put back together” the individual